Fated Meeting
by account.now.abandoned
Summary: In a world where the first words your soulmate says to you are embedded on your wrist, Hiccup Haddock has cursed the generic 'Welcome Hiccup' since he knew what the mark was. Viggo Grimborn had spent his entire life wondering how in the name of Nifelheim he could be mistaken for a woman- 'Heather'. A fated crossing may provide them with the answer they waited their entire lives for


**This has been sitting in my documents on my laptop for 2 years now, reckon it's about time I posted it.**

 **So anyway, it's been years since I last posted- but I'm always writing. My problem is, I write a chapter or two of something then leave it. I don't want to post it because I don't want to leave the story unfinished- hence my long, long absence. But, I'm always around. Plus, I now have an AO3 account (only took me years to get that done) and I much prefer that site to this one, so I'll probably be more inclined to post there. Fresh starts and all that...**

 **That's not to say I'm abandoning this account, I'll still post here, I'll just be more active elsewhere.**

 **Anyway, this was a oneshot written ages ago. It's supposed to be a bit ambiguous, a bit of an open ending. I've considered a sequel, but I quite like it as a oneshot aswell, so who knows...**

 **Hope you enjoy, read ya later!**

* * *

' _Welcome, Hiccup.'_

So generic, so common- Hiccup's soulmate mark was hideously average. How was he supposed to ever find his soulmate if every other greeting uttered from a stranger's mouth matched the exact words written in neat, black print on the curve of his wrist.

Hiccup couldn't recall the first time he heard those words, probably when he was a baby, and he's certainly lost track of how often people had spoken them. At this point, Hiccup was about ready to give up on ever finding his soulmate- knowing his luck he'd probably already met them and it wasn't requited…. It wasn't uncommon, unrequited soulmate marks. Many Vikings had the first words spoken to them by their soulmate, only to find that the soulmate had the words of another, it hurt- but it couldn't be helped.

Hiccup sighed as he switched his gaze from the clouds drifting away from him and the riders to the incoming island- now wasn't the time to dwell on the stupidity of his soulmark.

"Remember guys, Viggo is a master of deception, so we have to be one step ahead of him at all times or it's game over."

* * *

' _Heather….Heather! Come on, we've got to get out of here!'_

Viggo's gaze caught to the deep green cursive inscribed on the small of his wrist contemplatively before he covered it with a brace.

His whole life, he had questioned his soulmate- and how they could _possibly_ mistake him for a girl, 'Heather'- and now he might finally be able to understand.

His soulmark was not a common one, in no way was it a phrase he would likely hear more than once in his lifetime, so he knew that there was no way to mistake his soulmate- and right now, all the answers were pointing him in the direction of tonight.

Heather.

The traitor to the Dragon Hunters.

The sister of Dagur the Deranged.

 _The ally and friend of the Dragon Riders_.

It was the only logical explanation. Viggo had taken it upon himself to learn more of this 'Heather' when she joined his ranks- she had no other relations or friends, her brother and the dragon riders were all she had, and Viggo knew his soulmate couldn't be Dagur- for starters his first words to Viggo hadn't matched his mark- which only left the dragon riders.

There was, as far as Viggo understood, only 6 riders. 6 chances of meeting his soulmate.

Like he had done with Heather, Viggo had learnt as much as possible about these 6 riders.

First, there were twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thornston- destructive and moronic in nature, cunning in mind- Viggo hoped it was neither of them.  
Second, there was the Gronkle rider, Fishlegs Ingerman- a smart mind, but not tactical or brave- Viggo supposed the Ingerman would be more tolerable than one of those twins.  
Third, the hotheaded rider, Snotlout Jorgenson. Outwardly arrogant and brave, inwardly feeble-minded and meek. He would be the worst option, certainly.  
Fourth, the shieldmaiden, Astrid Hofferson. Whilst she radiated bravery and strength, she was overconfident and desperate to prove herself- and yet seemingly one of the more ideal of the riders.  
And finally, the rebellious heir to Berk, Hiccup Haddock the Third. Certainly the most fascinating, intelligent and witty, the young rider was a non-traditional Viking by all definitions of the word (or so Dagur had described him) with a weakness for dragons and desperate to find the good in all people. The Nightfury rider had intrigued Viggo before he had even met the boy, and if the tales surrounding him were true- Hiccup Haddock may be the most worthy adversary (or more ideally, soulmate) Viggo had yet to encounter.

With the sound of distant fighting to fuel him, Viggo threw the cloth over his head and turned his back to the doors of the cage, a smirk firmly in place.

Sure, actively pretending to be Heather may count as cheating- but Viggo had waited far too long to meet his soulmate, and tonight may be his only chance.

* * *

Viggo waited; and waited; and waited.

Surely by now at least one of the riders were on their way?

CRASH

And that would be them.

Viggo listened closely, whoever it was had landed rather softly, but as they ran towards the cage there was a distinctive foot rhythm he couldn't help but noticed. From a light pat on the ground to an incessant squeak of metal, the rider could only be one person:

Hiccup Haddock the Third.

Of course, for who else would rush to a friend's aid like this, it was just in the rider's nature afterall.

Viggo tensed slightly as he heard the lock on the cage being smashed, and the door squeaking open; if there were ever a time to find out who his soulmate was-

"Heather….Heather! Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

The words he'd waited his whole life to hear.

Despite having been almost certain of his soulmate, Viggo had momentarily froze. Finally, FINALLY he had met his soulmate- and it was rather pitiful in such circumstances, however it was a consequence he would pay for the answers he'd longed for.

Before Viggo could allow his mind to delve further, he became strongly aware of his ever present company, and blocked his thoughts as the cloth over him was torn away, he raised his head.

"Welcome, Hiccup." Really? That's what his first words would be? How generic could he _get_?!

However, Viggo caught the sharp inhalation of breath from the rider behind him, and took that as confirmation that this bond was, infact, requited. That was a relief.

"W-where's Heather?" Well, if his stutter was anything to go by, Viggo certainly stood a good chance now.

He allowed a faint smirk to play on his lips as he rose from his hidden position and turned to face Hiccup Haddock, his _soulmate_.

"Hm, bad news she won't be joining us tonight."

The rider certainly matched his description from Ryker and Dagur: lithe and agile indeed, he didn't look like much of a fighter, even if the shield held defensively infront of him said otherwise. What Ryker and Dagur had failed to mention, however, was the wild look the boy possessed. Tousled brown hair, and vibrant green eyes Viggo could immediately place to the same colour of the words on his own wrist (as if he needed anymore confirmation of his soulmate), Hiccup Haddock certainly reminded Viggo of an unchained, untamed dragon. And it was oddly fitting, perfect in a way. Soulmates indeed.

"But, on the positive side," Viggo continued, "You've far exceeded my expectations- good on you."

Viggo watched as Hiccup diverted his wary look from Viggo, to the armed hunters surrounding them, as he tightened his hold on his shield (was this the ornate shield Dagur had spoken of?) and narrowed his eyes towards Viggo, the edgings of distrust bright in his eyes. That was expected, but less than ideal for soulmates- and surely Hiccup had to have come to the same conclusion by now, if his frantic glance to his wrist had been any confirmation.

* * *

No.

No was in Valhalla was _Viggo Grimborn_ his soulmate.

Of course, in his life Hiccup had heard the ever generic _'Welcome Hiccup'_ at least a hundred times, but none of those times had his soulmark burnt as it did now, and that could only mean one thing….

Of all people, it had to be the infamous leader of the Dragon Hunters. How ironic. Trust Hiccup's luck.

Viggo Grimborn had matched Heather's description rather well; he was tall and strongly built, but Hiccup noticed he held the posture of a strong leader and the eyes of a finely tuned intellectual.

That was a nice change, intelligence was (sadly) a rarity in Viking society, and if the man didn't involve himself in the harm of dragons Hiccup could almost consider this a half-decent soulmate.

Wait.

Why was Hiccup even _considering_ Viggo Grimborn's suitability as a partner? There wasn't even a guarantee the soulmarks were requited afterall….

Hiccup tried to ignore the burning in his wrist, if he ignored it, maybe he could pretend it didn't even exist….

Viggo swept his gaze from Hiccup over the hunters, before returning to the boy in question.

"So many guards, so little time," Viggo watched how Hiccup observed the hunters, vying for an escape like a trapped dragon, "But please, I am enjoying this, I'll give you a headstart."

Hiccup started at Viggo in shock, and leaned away in distrust- not that Viggo could blame him, afterall, he was trapped at that very point.

"Why would you do that?" Demanded Hiccup, desperately searching Viggo for answers. The boy was _curious_. Wary, understandable, but he was seeking information from Viggo- he'd never seen anyone quite as inquisitive, as _different_ , as Hiccup.

"Because I'm nothing if not a good sport," _And just as inquisitive of you as you evidently are of me_ , "And if I didn't the game would end here, and what fun would that be?"

They were dancing circles around eachother, neither speaking what they both knew. But one of them had to crack.

* * *

Hiccup started at Viggo a fraction longer before he turned away and sprinted, ignoring the burning in his wrist and ache to need more about the hunter.

So yes, Viggo was Hiccup's soulmate. There was no avoiding it.

But, there was no guarantee Hiccup was Viggo's soulmate. Viggo had given no indication of recognising Hiccup's first words to him (albeit, his back _had_ been turned) nor had he mentioned it. For the sake of Hiccup's pride if nothing else, he was determined not to mention it. Forget the panging in his chest when he realised exactly was Viggo's greeting had meant….

No Hiccup. Focus.

"Alright, ignore Viggo and think Hiccup….think….." He muttered to himself as he desperately tried to block out the cries of the dragons around him, "Why would he give you a headstart? He knows you have-"

Hiccup faltered at the familiar, blinding light. _The Flightmare_. This could not be good.

In the back of his head, he registered himself completing his previous sentence, but he was already far too occupied with other thoughts of exactly _what_ Viggo could be planning.

It was then the cage behind him rattled, and he glanced over his shoulder, only to relax as he saw Toothless on top of it. "Thank Thor you're okay bud." He sighed, returning his gaze to the muzzled Flightmare. (Odin why didn't he free the dragon when he had the chance?!)

"There you are, Hiccup."

Hiccup and Toothless simultaneously turned to the sound of the voice, Viggo. Hiccup's gaze hardened.

 _Focus Hiccup. Focus. Pay attention to the Flightmare. Your soulmark means nothing. Definitely not how you and Viggo are destined to have an intertwined life and how you are both so alike in everyway- NO FOCUS HICCUP_

Hiccup's grip tightened on his shield, "Game's over Viggo." He had Toothless, he still stood a chance….

* * *

Viggo was rather impressed at the symmetry displayed by Hiccup and the Nightfury. It was almost a shame the dragon would have to die, it was an intriguing match to Hiccup.

"Game's over Viggo."

It was rather cute how Hiccup felt he stood a chance, but a foolish hope nonetheless.

Viggo jumped down from the cage he stood on top of, and began to stride towards Hiccup, enjoying how the rider raised his shield slightly- either advertedly or inadvertedly hiding his wrists from Viggo. Nevertheless, Viggo knew what would be there, and he would see for himself within the minute.

"I'm so sorry you feel that way, was I not a worthy adversary? Don't answer that, your surrender speaks volumes."

It was amusing, the glint of anger that flashed in Hiccup's eyes. "No one is surrendering." He scowled, determinedly matching Viggo's stare.

Hiccup's persistence was admirable, and yet Viggo urged to push it, "Alright then here's what I propose," Hiccup tensed slightly, "Return what you stole from me, what has belonged to my people for centuries, and I will give serious thought to letting your riders go free….and you, of course, after we have a short _discussion_." Viggo smirked as Hiccup's eyes went wide and he frantically looked down to his wrist, before meeting his gaze and taking a calming breath.

"You're talking about the Dragon Eye." So Hiccup opts to ignore the mark? His mistake….

"Dragon Eye? A fitting name. If you don't mind, I'll use that." He watched as Hiccup shot him a withering glare (or at least, it would have been withering if he hadn't looked so panicked and confused whilst doing it), as he and the Nightfury stepped into alignment with one another, and Hiccup swung himself onto his dragon readily.

"Have it your way," Growled Hiccup, "But don't say I didn't warn you." As the Nightfury readied its attack, Viggo nodded to his hunters- who pulled the lever on the Flightmare's muzzle. When Hiccup had realised his mistake it was too late, both he and his Nightfury were frozen, but not unaware. Viggo admired the image for a moment before walking towards them, nearing Hiccup.

"Don't take this personally Hiccup, all is necessary in the trade of business. I'm sure you understand…." Viggo's eyes drifted from the riders long sleeves to his satchel, the Berk crest emblazoned on the front. Carefully, he lifted the top, and pulled out the 'Dragon Eye', exactly as its drawings depicted it. Viggo victoriously held the tool up, allowing his men to cheer and celebrate as he returned his attention to Hiccup. "Boosting morale, a necessary tactic, we're both more than aware of I assume." Viggo commented offhandedly, as his gaze rested on Hiccup's sleeves, and what undoubtedly hid beneath them.

"You know Hiccup, I don't appreciate when people hide things from me." His hand began to near Hiccup's left, which he grasped firmly around the wrist- tight enough to feel a heightened pulse. "And, of course, if you had nothing to hide- your pulse would be perfectly normal, but it's fast, erratic- and we both know exactly why." Viggo smirked, as he pushed the sleeve of Hiccup's tunic up, to reveal two words, in fine black print across his wrist ' _Welcome Hiccup',_ "And to think you weren't going to tell me." Viggo traced the letters, a smug smile across his face, "You weren't discreet you know? You looked so panicked, so worried, it was written so plainly across your face I would have noticed even if we weren't-" Viggo leaned in, even closer to Hiccup as he uttered the dreaded truth "Soulmates."

And to think Viggo had even considered any of the other riders could have been his soulmate, Hiccup Haddock the Third balanced him perfectly, and surely with the intelligence Hiccup possessed he had noticed it too.

It was then that Viggo noticed the effects of the Flightmare mist wearing off, as the Nightfury's ears began to twitch ever so slightly, but it was enough to divert Viggo's attention.

He had to make a flash decision, he stared down at the Dragon Eye then back to Hiccup- and turned to his hunters.

"Tie up the Nightfury and rider!" He commanded, before turning to face Hiccup, and leaned in until there was less than an inch between then. "You and I have some things we need to discuss."


End file.
